May 25, 2014

I had the recent honor of recording a podcast with fellow web-enterpreneur, Natalie Eckdahl, who does this fantastic podcast series called BizChix.

I set high standards for myself but rarely do I critique myself publicly. But today I want to use myself as a Retail Pitch Tip example to benefit you, the product entrepreneurs.

I often say preparation is 90% of the recipe for success. Before heading into any presentation, whether it is a retail pitch, TV interview, consulting engagement – and in this case, a podcast recording – it behooves you to do a few things in advance:

Think about your talking points
Do research on your interviewer (or the person you are meeting) and the types of questions they typically ask
And then an hour or so before game time, clear your head. Get present in the moment. I like to close my eyes and visualize how I want to come across.
Keeping with the sports analogy, get your game face on and start talking in your game “voice” prior to when you go live. For me this usually requires me to slow down my speech and smooth out my cadence.

Keep these tips in mind before jumping on the phone with a retail buyer, before a meeting with a retailer, or any time you are “on stage”. Doing so will refine your presentation and convey credibility.

Shall we see what good and poor preparation sound like? Check out this podcast below. I share some great content for product entrepreneurs, plus a lot of “um’s” and moments where I’m searching for words. But then contrast my performance with the interviewer, Natalie. She is impressive and clearly did her preparation! Then check out my MSBBC interview and see another example of good preparation. See the difference preparation can make?

Making myself a case study aside, this podcast is a recommended business resource. Since my podcast recording, I’ve listened to other episodes in her series and am impressed by the quality of guests, insightful interview questions and the many productivity and business tips guests share. This is definitely my go-to business podcast now. Definitely check out Amy Porterfield’s interview, which is episode 74. I took down a page full of notes from that podcast.

Listen to Vanessa Ting’s Podcast Interview on BizChix:

Episode Link: bizchix.com/79

iTunes Link: bit.ly/1efgKMR/79